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Extend your Eero mesh Wi-Fi with ease
When Amazon took the covers off of the Eero Poe Gateway, it also revealed a neat new integration for its Eero mesh Wi-Fi systems.
It’s now possible to turn some Echo smart speakers into ‘Eero Built-in Wi-Fi Extenders’, meaning you can expand your Eero coverage without having to buy new Eero routers or access points such as the Eero Max 7, Eero Pro 6E or the Eero 6+.
It’s very easy to set up, using the Eero app, just follow the steps below…
What you’ll need
- An Eero network
- A smartphone with the Eero app
- Echo Pop, 4th or 5th-gen Echo Dot / Dot with Clock, or 4th-gen Amazon Echo
The short version
- Open the Eero app
- Link your Amazon and Eero accounts
- Enable Eero built in
- Choose what Echo devices you want to use
How to extend your Eero Wi-Fi range using your Echo smart speakers
Time needed: 5 minutes
- 1. Update your Eero firmware
The first thing to do is to make sure that your Eero firmware is up to date.
This is easy to do, just fire up the Eero app and hit the settings cog in the bottom bar and tap Software Version.
You’ll either see a button to update your Eero software or, more likely (if you use the default auto update option) you’ll see a message saying your software is up to date.
- 2. Link your Amazon and Eero accounts
The next step is to verify that your Eero system and your Alexa setup are linked to the same Amazon account.
You can check this through the Discover screen in the Eero app. You’re looking for green lights in the Amazon Connected Home section and a gree Active label.
If they aren’t linked, hop back to the settings tab and sign in using the same Amazon account you use for Alexa. - 3. Enable eero Built-in and choose what Echo speakers to use
Tap on eero Built-in on that screen above and you’ll get the option to turn it on and select the Echo speakers you want to use to extend your network.
You don’t need to worry about interference or making your Eero coverage worse because the system will automatically disable Wi-Fi extension in an Echo device is in an area that’s already well served by your existing Eero routers and satellites.
See also: How to disable 5GHz on Eero
You can also manually manage which Echo devices are extending your Wi-Fi in the Eero app. Simply tap the Echo speaker in the list of access points and toggle the Wi-Fi extension on or off.
How fast is Eero on Echo speakers?
Eero Built-in allows you to use your Echo speakers as mesh nodes and access points on your Eero’s 5GHz Wi-Fi network, with speeds up to 100Mbps on offer for a maximum of 10 connected devices.
What Echo speakers can be used with Eero?
It works with the new Echo Pop, 4th and 5th-gen Echo Dot / Dot with Clocks and the 4th-gen Amazon Echo.
How much will Echo speakers extend Eero Wi-Fi range?
Each Echo Dot, Pop or 4th-gen Echo that you add as an extender gives you an extra 1,000 sq. ft of Wi-Fi coverage.
What Eero routers work with Echo speakers?
All Eero system except the original work with Echo and the Built-in Eero feature. So that’s the Eero, Eero Pro, Eero 6, Eero Pro 6, Eero 6+, the Eero Pro 6E and the Eero Max 7.
The small print
One thing to remember is that none of these magically makes your Echo speakers dedicated Wi-Fi routers or even satellites.
They do use TrueMesh to give some Eero powers to non-Eero hardware but it’s all just extension of an existing network, there are no extras on offer, or high-end networking features like you’d get by adding a dedicated Eero AP to the mix.
With an Eero Built-in extender, like the Echo Dot, the speaker simply extends your existing router’s range like a regular hotspot extender would do.
So it’s super handy for eliminating black spots in distant corners of your house; but it’s not a competitor to a dedicated mesh network with dedicated access points… not yet, at least.
